Trying to get my head round the fact that this photograph was taken just 22 hours ago while I was working in Ramsgate with @bbctheoneshow By the way, I forgot to mention yesterday that we made a beautiful plate of Ramsgate harbour before the weather closed in completely. Look out for it when the programme’s broadcast. I’m not sure when that’ll be but it’ll be some time over the next few weeks.
Anyway, I packed up by 9pm, grabbed an hour’s sleep, then jumped in Neena just after 11pm to drive through the night to Holyhead in the far north west corner of Wales.
It turned out to be the most gruelling drive I think I’ve ever done, eventually arriving in Holyhead just after 9:30 this morning, some 10 hours later. It’s strange, I can’t really remember much of the journey but I do know that I had to keep stopping for power naps! All rather surreal.
Still, it had to be done — there was no other way to get to Holyhead in time to catch the ferry to Ireland in readiness for @howthrnli tomorrow.
Thankfully, that’s the last of the big driving till I return home in a month’s time. And now the ferry’s engines are rumbling into action to carry Neena and me across the Irish Sea.
Catch you on the other side!
Special thanks to @holyhead_lifeboat for offering some space to rest for a moment on the way through this morning.
#lifeboatstationproject#lsp17#ramsgate#storm#rainbow#incoming

Good to see @lordlowe#lifeboatstationproject making great use of the @dpa_microphones d:vice 4060 4017 @bubblebeeindustries combo 👌 Repost from @lordlowe I’ve been recording the latest podcast for my patrons...and here’s the gear I use to make my sound recordings — two amazing mics plugged into my iPhone 7.
I really enjoy being imaginative about the ways I can communicate with you all. Podcasts are particularly effective and I love making them.
When people just listen to a voice, it’s amazing what they can pick up. Environment, time of day, weather, mood, thoughts, feelings.
So when people hear my voice, they can really feel what I’m feeling and understand the journey I’m on.
This is important for my patrons as they’re taking the extra step of helping to fund the project on a monthly basis and they like to know how I’m doing.
My Patreon page isn’t a place for the elite or for the ‘cool kids’ to hang out. It’s how real people like you are helping to fund this life-enriching, historical art project. They’re putting fuel into Neena and silver onto glass.
Anyone can contribute to the nuts and bolts of the project by pledging anything from $1/£1 per month.
By becoming a patron or buying from my shop, you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re helping to fund one of the biggest photographic projects ever undertaken! Find out all about it via the buttons on my homepage or here:
patreon.com/jacklowe
#lifeboatstationproject#keepartalive#bbinthewild

I’ve been recording the latest podcast for my patrons...and here’s the gear I use to make my sound recordings — two amazing mics plugged into my iPhone 7.
I really enjoy being imaginative about the ways I can communicate with you all. Podcasts are particularly effective and I love making them.
When people just listen to a voice, it’s amazing what they can pick up. Environment, time of day, weather, mood, thoughts, feelings.
So when people hear my voice, they can really feel what I’m feeling and understand the journey I’m on.
This is important for my patrons as they’re taking the extra step of helping to fund the project on a monthly basis and they like to know how I’m doing.
My Patreon page isn’t a place for the elite or for the ‘cool kids’ to hang out. It’s how real people like you are helping to fund this life-enriching, historical art project. They’re putting fuel into Neena and silver onto glass.
Anyone can contribute to the nuts and bolts of the project by pledging anything from $1/£1 per month.
By becoming a patron or buying from my shop, you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re helping to fund one of the biggest photographic projects ever undertaken! Find out all about it via the buttons on my homepage or here:
patreon.com/jacklowe
#lifeboatstationproject#keepartalive

Jack Lowe has been travelling the UK and Ireland and photographing RNLI crews and stations from around the coast using the #wetplatecollodion technique.
He is taking part in a major photography exhibition in Poole - ‘Calm Before the Storm : The Art of Photographing Lifeboats’ which opens to the public tomorrow. A large collection of Jack’s work as part of his Lifeboat Station Project will be on display.
Wishing you all the best for the preview tonight @lordlowe#rnli#rnlilifeboat#lifeboatstationproject#poole

Repost from @lordlowe who took this snap of me in the studio. We’ve been working hard to get these finished for the show. They look great! ・・・
Introducing the 5000 Mile Artwork: Among the busy-ness of 2018, you may or may not be aware that I’ve also been working alongside the RNLI Heritage department to produce the Heritage Lottery Funded exhibition ‘Calm Before the Storm: The Art of Photographing Lifeboats’ which opens at Poole Museum on 26th January.
In Gallery 1, you’ll find gorgeous prints from the glass plates of maritime photographic luminary Frank Beken. In Gallery 2, the largest exhibition so far of The Lifeboat Station Project will be on display.
My exhibition will take you on a coastal journey from the most northerly lifeboat station (Aith in the Shetland Islands ), around the compass to the most westerly (Valentia in County Kerry, Ireland ). At the heart of the 55 prints on display, I’ll be showing a brand new artwork called ‘Lifeboat Slipways 2015-2018’ — nine individually framed slipway prints that form a giant grid measuring around 5x4 feet.
A nod to the industrial photography of Bernd and Hilla Becher, this is a piece that’s been a long time in the making.
When I introduced it to my Patrons a few weeks ago, I calculated that it took over 5000 miles of travelling to achieve the nine featured photographs. So I’m billing it as the 5000 mile artwork!
Here you see Bruce Reid of @reidframingltd — who’s diligently framed my work for nearly 20 years — holding one of the nine prints that’ll feature in the grid. 10 points if you can guess which one it is.
Right now, all eyes are on the final production, installation and the imminent Private View. On Sunday, I’ll be hopping into Neena once again to make the 400 mile journey to the museum with all the framed photographs on board. Exciting times!
The exhibition runs from 26th January to 22nd April. More details on my Events page (via profile link ). #lifeboatstationproject#rnli#sar#lifeboat#wetplate#ambrotype#maritime#nautical#heritage#behindthescenes#poolemuseum#beken#bekenofcowes#calmbeforethestorm#hlfsupported

Introducing the 5000 Mile Artwork: Among the busy-ness of 2018, you may or may not be aware that I’ve also been working alongside the RNLI Heritage department to produce the Heritage Lottery Funded exhibition ‘Calm Before the Storm: The Art of Photographing Lifeboats’ which opens at Poole Museum on 26th January.
In Gallery 1, you’ll find gorgeous prints from the glass plates of maritime photographic luminary Frank Beken. In Gallery 2, the largest exhibition so far of The Lifeboat Station Project will be on display.
My exhibition will take you on a coastal journey from the most northerly lifeboat station (Aith in the Shetland Islands ), around the compass to the most westerly (Valentia in County Kerry, Ireland ). At the heart of the 55 prints on display, I’ll be showing a brand new artwork called ‘Lifeboat Slipways 2015-2018’ — nine individually framed slipway prints that form a giant grid measuring around 5x4 feet.
A nod to the industrial photography of Bernd and Hilla Becher, this is a piece that’s been a long time in the making.
When I introduced it to my Patrons a few weeks ago, I calculated that it took over 5000 miles of travelling to achieve the nine featured photographs. So I’m billing it as the 5000 mile artwork!
Here you see Bruce Reid of @reidframingltd — who’s diligently framed my work for nearly 20 years — holding one of the nine prints that’ll feature in the grid. 10 points if you can guess which one it is.
Right now, all eyes are on the final production, installation and the imminent Private View. On Sunday, I’ll be hopping into Neena once again to make the 400 mile journey to the museum with all the framed photographs on board. Exciting times!
The exhibition runs from 26th January to 22nd April. More details on my Events page (via profile link ). #lifeboatstationproject#rnli#sar#lifeboat#wetplate#ambrotype#maritime#nautical#heritage#behindthescenes#poolemuseum#beken#bekenofcowes#calmbeforethestorm#hlfsupported

Just back from our first mini road trip of 2019 — a quick 210 miles or so down to Yorkshire to meet some wonderful people and speak to them for a couple of hours about the #lifeboatstationproject These things put the top hat on an excellent day:
An extremely moving vote of thanks; an amazing gift from one of my Patrons (more on that soon ); the father of an @rnli_kessock crew member in attendance; selling lots of merch; my ol’ pal @henmania coming along to help; oh, and the incredible bacon roll from @thelocalpantry !
Days like this are hard to beat. Thank you, Yorkshire Monochrome Group. And, yes, I’d love to come back in a couple of years’ time. 😌
#lsptalks#neenaspotting

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January 2019

12th January 2019: Today is the fourth anniversary of The Lifeboat Station Project!
On this day in 2015, I’d just arrived at Southwold lifeboat station with @henmania in atrocious weather.
We met the kind lifeboat volunteers who’d go on to help us make the very first photographs on the journey. And then, well, we just kept on going... Special thanks to friend, Patron and all round super-supporter Sarah for remembering the date and sending me this excellent card. She tells me the image is from the @rnli catalogue “making it go that little bit further” 😇
#lifeboatstationproject#rnli

Short Notice (apologies for that ): I'm giving a talk this Sunday as part of an all-day event hosted by the Yorkshire Monochrome Group.
Initially, I was under the impression that it is a members-only event but I've heard today that I may also open it up to my followers.
I've just published the full details on my Events page. Click on the ‘Events’ 🎟 button on the homepage (profile link ) or head here:
lifeboatstationproject.com/events
I'm hoping that this one's more geographically central for many of you and will look forward to seeing you there!
#lifeboatstationproject#rnli#sar#lifeboat#wetplate#ambrotype#maritime#nautical#heritage#lsptalks

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January 2019

This serene image shows a lifeboat called Prudential on New Year’s Day, 1926. At this moment in time, she was newly built. She went on to save countless lives, including from the beaches of Dunkirk. She carried Ramsgate’s volunteers across the Channel to rescue British troops in 1940. Her crew worked constantly for 30 hours, battling strong tides and dodging enemy fire. All made it safely home.
This is just one of many never-before-seen RNLI photographs in a new exhibition at @poolemuseum that opens later this month.
Spread over two floors, the show will take visitors on a journey from the lifeboat builders of the early 20th Century to the brave volunteers who crew our boats today.
Although the striking images span nearly 100 years, they have all been taken on glass plates. The earliest, including this one, are by the famous Beken family, who have been photographing maritime activity around the Isle of Wight since the turn of the century.
The contemporary images are taken by Jack Lowe ( @lordlowe ) who is halfway through a photographic odyssey to capture all our crews on glass.
Calm Before The Storm: The Art of Photographing Lifeboats runs from January 26 to April 22 and is free to get in. We do hope you can come along!
To find out more, check out rnli.org/calmbeforethestorm.
#savinglivesatsea#rnli#lifeboats#Poole#poolemuseum#beken#isleofwight#lifeboatstationproject#volunteers#wetplate#heritage#ambrotype#dunkirk#museum#photographyexhibition#calmbeforethestorm#hlfsupported#bekenofcowes

Frozen Chips: Dudley Penrose (pictured left ) has sadly passed away since I made this portrait with Raymond.
Dudley was a lovely man who made me chuckle. Have a read of my blog post from 2015 to see how frozen chips intervened during our time together. As ever, my profile link will take you there.
Bear in mind that Dudley and Raymond were the two men who launched Solomon Browne on 19th December 1981, then had to come to terms with the horrible realisation that they’d launched their best mates into a storm from which they would never return. As I mentioned earlier, it’s one of the saddest tales you’ll ever hear.
#lifeboatstationproject#lsp6#rnli#sar#lifeboat#wetplate#ambrotype#maritime#nautical#heritage#solomonbrowne#penlee

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December 2018

27th September 2018, 1800hrs: At this time of day heading into autumn, you have to be really careful using wet plate — the light fades very quickly indeed.
So it’s preferable to get it right first time, to efficiently pull together the myriad of variables that bubble up when using such an old process for a group portrait.
Thankfully, we did that with @rnli_walmer and managed to make this lovely creation, the penultimate crew photograph from the first half of my journey.
As ever, I wish I could show you the true splendour of a glass plate like this, which has a surface area roughly 20 times larger than most phone screens. However, the good thing about that is there’s yet another layer of enjoyment in store should you ever get to see one in the flesh.
#lifeboatstationproject#lsp16#rnli#sar#lifeboat#wetplate#ambrotype#maritime#nautical#heritage#portrait#kent#walmer

As I tap this, I’m surrounded by all manner of beautiful things from prints to keyrings, all winging their way to new homes.
Your orders have been flowing and flowing but now we’re approaching those final few days when the line will have to be drawn.
During that time, you’ll see a campaign of 12 images running across my social channels to polish off the remaining calendars — what a(nother ) learning curve they’ve been and phenomenal to see them heading off around the globe in their hundreds.
Here on Insta, the campaign will be running as a Story — see the first incarnation there now, to be continued in the morning.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to bagsy yours as we enter the last chance saloon. Links are in all the usual places. Once you’ve done that, remember to tell your friends! 😇
Thank you very much to everyone who’s supported my work and helped to keep the journey on the road. I couldn’t do it without you.
#lifeboatstationproject

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161

December 2018

‪Thank you to all those who came along to @starandshadow and @starbazaar_heaton to show their support on Saturday. It was a great day of meeting friends and followers...and making new ones too.
Wonderful to see so many splendid #lifeboatstationproject items finding their way to new homes.
Don’t worry, you haven’t missed out — everything’s available via my profile link. 💥⚓️💥

Now shipping: The photographs you’ve seen me making over the last four years are appearing in national exhibitions and museums, but now you can hang them on your own wall and enjoy them throughout the year.
As you can see, Hastings Lifeboat Station have their magnificent LP-sized calendar. Reserve yours via my profile link or here:
lifeboatstationproject.com/calendar
#2019calendar #LifeboatStationProject#RNLI#wetplate#ambrotype#maritime#nautical#heritage

🔊🔛 The lifeboat geek in me is very pleased to let you know that @rnli are celebrating the 5th birthday of their Shannon Class lifeboat in #ShannonWeek I’ve been lucky enough to go to sea on these incredible machines (perhaps you saw the @rnli_montrose clip last week ) but this is a moment I’ll never forget — the day Coxswains Tommy Cocking and John Fox stopped by to wave hello when I was working at the old Penlee lifeboat station in Mousehole.
If you’re aware of the history behind Penlee, you’ll understand how this combination of the old and the new will have been particularly poignant.
For an added layer of enjoyment, turn on your sound and you’ll find I’ve re-edited this favourite clip with a little bit of dreamy ambient music to complement the occasion and the motion of the boat... 🤓💭
Last clip in sequence filmed by @pete_naylor#LifeboatStationProject#LSP6#RNLI#SAR#RNLIShannon#lifeboat#maritime#nautical#allatsea#Cornwall#Penlee#Mousehole@easerives@penlee2018